Centrifugal distributor with integral governor control valve



June 30, 1964 E. c. BETTONI 3,139,079

CENTRIFUGAL DISTRIBUTOR WITH INTEGRAL GOVERNOR CONTROL VALVE Filed April 10, 1961 2 Sheets$heet l ///l Ill INVENTOR. EUGE/V' C. 434F770! BY mm June 30, 1964 c, BETTONI 3,139,079

CENTRIFUGAL DISTRIBUTOR WITH INTEGRAL GOVERNOR CONTROL VALVE Filed April 10, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EN TOR.

United States Patent Office 3,139,079 CENTRIFUGAL DISTRIBUTOR WITH INTEGRAL GUVERNOR CONTRQL VALVE Eugene C. Bettoni, Birmingham, MiclL, assignor to Holley Carburetor Company, Warren, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Fiied Apr. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 101,962 21 Claims. (Cl. 123103) The invention relates to engine controls and refers more specifically to combined centrifugal spark advance and speed governing mechanisms for use with internal combustion engines and similar devices.

In the past it has been practice to provide separate speed governing and spark advance mechanisms on devices utilizing both control means. The provision of these separate mechanisms in a single device is however expensive due to unnecessary duplication of parts, and production and assembly labor. Further in the interest of conservation of weight and space it is desirable to combine such mechanisms wherever possible.

It is therefore one of the objects of the present invention to provide combined speed governing and spark advance mechanisms for use with internal combustion engines or similar devices.

Another object is to provide a diaphragm actuated speed governor and a spark advance mechanism controlled by a single centrifugal valve assembly for use with an internal combustion engine.

Another object is to provide controls as set forth above wherein the diaphragm actuated speed governor comprises a diaphragm assembly including a diaphragm secured between a pair of housing members, an actuating rod secured to the diaphragm at one end and to a lever operable to position a throttle valve at the other end, a chamber formed between the diaphragm and one of the pair of housing members, and means connecting the chamber to the venturi and manifold of the engine, and wherein the centrifugal valve assembly is effective to connect the chamber to the atmosphere at engine speeds below governing speed.

Another object is to provide controls as set forth above wherein the spark advance mechanism comprises a rotatable shaft, an ignition contact breaking cam member sleeved over and rotatable upon the rotatable shaft, and camming slots in said cam member cooperable with centrifugally positioned pins on said centrifugal valve assembly to rotate the cam member relative to the shaft in accordance with engine speed.

Another object is to provide controls as set forth above wherein the centrifugal valve assembly comprises a pair of cylinders, and centrifugally balanced pistons in said cylinders to which the centrifugally positioned pins are secured, said pistons moving within the cylinders in accordance with the speed of rotation of the rotatable shaft to position said pins.

Another object is to provide a centrifugal valve assembly as set forth above wherein one of the cylinders is connected to the manifold of the engine through a passage extending axially through the rotatable shaft and wherein said chamber is connected to the atmosphere through a second axially extending passage in the rotatable shaft and the other of said cylinders and a valve is provided in said other cylinder operable by the piston therein at a predetermined engine speed to seal the cylinder from atmospheric pressure.

Another object is to provide engine control structure as set forth above which is simple and compact in construction, economical to manufacture and efficient in use.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic elevation view partly broken away of a distributor and carburetor assembly for use with an internal combustion engine including the combined speed governing and spark advance mechanism of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cross section view of the distributor portion of FIGURE 1 taken in the direction of arrows 22 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged partial section view of the distributor portion of FIGURE 1 taken substantially on the line 33 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a section view of the centrifugal valve part of the distributor portion of FIGURE 1 taken substantially on the line 4-4 in FIGURE 3.

With particular reference to the drawings one embodiment of the present invention will now be disclosed.

The speed governor 10 is operable in conjunction with carburetor 12 on internal combustion engine 14 to limit the maximum speed of the engine 14. Spark advance mechanism 16 of the distributor 18 is provided to angularly position cam surfaces 20 relative to rotatable shaft 22 in accordance with the speed of rotation of the engine 14. In accordance with the invention the single centrifugal valve assembly 19 is provided to control both the speed governor 10 and spark advance mechanism 16 according to the speed of rotation of the engine 14.

More specifically the speed governor 10 comprises the separate diaphragm housing parts 28 and 30 mounted on carburetor 12 and having the diaphragm 32 positioned therebetween. The rod 34 is secured at end 40 centrally of the diaphragm 32 by means of plates 36 and 38 as shown. End 44 of rod 34 is pivotally connected to lever 42. Lever 42 is rigidly secured to throttle shaft 46 and is operable to produce rotation thereof on axial movement of the shaft 34.

Diaphragm 32 and rod 34 are biased in a rightward direction as shown in FIGURE 1 by means of spring 47 whereby the rod 34 tends to urge the throttle valve 24 into an open position, as shown in FIGURE 1. Movement of the rod 34 to the left in FIGURE 1 due to a vacuum in chamber 48 formed by housing part 28 and diaphragm 32 will cause counterclockwise rotation of the throttle 24 toward a closed position and thus limit the speed of engine 14.

Chamber 48 is connected through conduit 50 to conduit 52 and then to passage 54 in distributor housing 56, the manifold 58 of the engine 14 and the venturi 60 of the carburetor 12 through conduits 62, 64 and 66, respectively. In operation chamber 48 is connected directly to atmospheric pressure through passage 54 only at engine speeds below a predetermined governing engine speed.

The spark advance mechanism 16 comprises a hollow shaft mounted for rotation relative to the shaft 22 and having the cam surfaces 20 thereon. Relative rota- Patented-June 30, 1964* tion between the shafts 22 and 78 is accomplished by means of the cam plate 72 secured to the shaft 7ti for rotation therewith. The plate 72 is shaped as shown best in FIGURE 2 and is provided with the cam slots 74 and 76 in which the cam pins 78 and 89 respectively slide to produce relative rotation between the shafts 22 and 76 as will be considered later. Mounting means 82 and 84 for springs 86 and 88 are further provided on cam plate 72. Springs 86 and 88 tend to prevent relative rotation between the shafts 22 and 70 as will also become more evident in the later consideration of the operation of the invention.

The centrifugal valve assembly 19 comprises housing 90 having the passage 92 extending therethrough through which the shaft 22 extends to mount the housing 90 thereon for rotation therewith. Housing 98 is further provided with the cylinder or chamber 94 in end 96 thereof. Piston 98 is reciprocally mounted in chamber 94 as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. The pin 80 is secured to the piston 98 for movement therewith in the slot 190 provided in the housing'9t as shown best in FIGURES 2 and 3. Thus on movement of piston 98 in chamber 94 the pin 88 which is constrained by slot 101) to move axially of the chamber with the piston 98 through camming action in conjunction with slot 76 in the cam plate 72 produces relative rotation between the shaft 22 to which the hous- 7 ing 90 is secured and the shaft 70.

The chamber 94 is sealed at the outer end by means of the disc 102 and is in communication with the manifold 58 of the engine 14 through the passage 184 in the housing 90, the passage 106 in the rotatable shaft 22, the annular chamber 108 in annular member 189, passage 112 in distributor housing 56 and conduit 114. Thus pistom 98 is caused to move rightward in FTGURES 3 and 4 in chamber 94 in opposition to the force exerted by springs 86 and 88 in accordance with the manifold vacuum of the engine 14 with the engine operating at low speeds. The tension in the springs 86 and 88 may be adjusted to determine the amount of relative rotation between the shaft 22 and the shaft 70 for a given manifold vacuum. Thus the relative position of the shaft 22 and 'the cam surfaces 20 on the shaft 70 which control the spark advance of the distributor 18 are advanced at low speeds in accordance withmanifold vacuum in the usual manner. At higher speeds when the manifold vacuum is low the spark advance is controlled in accordance with the speed of rotation of shaft 22 as will be later considered.

The housing 90 is further provided with the chamber 116 therein as shown which is closed at the outer end by the removable member 118 having a metering orifice 120 therein with the valve seat 122 therearound. A sleeve piston 124 as illustrated in FIGURE 1 is provided in chamber 116. Sleeve 124 is reciprocally mounted on piston valve member 126 which is urged against the end 128 of the chamber 116 by the spring bias means 136 as shown.

The pistons 124 and 98 are ccntrifugally balanced whereby on rotation of the shaft 22 the pistons move radially outwardly with respect to the shaft to provide the relative rotation between the shaft 22 and the shaft 79 through pins 78 and 80 and the cam plate 72 to provide the proper spark advance for the distributor 18 at higher engine speeds when manifold vacuum is low. During movement of the pistons 98 and124 due to rotation of shaft 22 the piston 124 slides longitudinally of the piston also connected to passage 54 in the distributor housing 56 through passage 136 in housing 98, passage 138 in shaft 22 and the annular chamber 148 in member 141.

Thus in over-all operation of the combined centrifugal spark advance and speed governing mechanism of the invention, as the engine 14 is started and before the throttle 24 is opened the manifold vacuum is felt in chamber 94 to cause piston 98 to move toward the right in FIGURE 4 setting an initial carburetor spark advance due to rotation of the shaft 71) with respect to the shaft 22 by means of the camming action of the pin 88 in conjunction with the slot 76 in the cam plate 72.

As the speed of the engine increases and the throttle 24 is opened the manifold vacuum in chamber 28 decreases and the position of the piston 98 and the piston 124 is determined by the centrifugal force developed by the pistons due to rotation of the shaft 22. Thus the spark ad vance of the distributor at this time is determined by the balanced centrifugal pistons acting in opposition to the springs 86 and 88 which springs tend to oppose relative rotation between the shaft 22 and shaft 7 it.

After a predetermined speed has been reached the pis ton valve 126 moves radially outwardly due to centrifugal forces acting thereon to close the metering orifice 120. Closing of the metering orifice 128 disconnects the chamber 48 of the speed governor 18 from the atmospheric pressure in conduit 132. A vacuum is then drawn in the chamber 48 in accordance with the combined vacuums in venturi 66 of carburetor 12 and the manifold 58 of the motor 14 through the conduits 64 and 66 having restrictions 142 and 144 respectively therein. The vacuum in chamber 48 will cause the rod 34 to move to the left as shown in FIGURE 1, whereby lever 42 rotates the shaft 46 to close the throttle 24 and thus govern the speed of the engine.

It can therefore be seen that in accordance with the invention a centrifugal spark advance mechanism is provided in conjunction with a speed governor which speed governor and spark advance mechanism operate separately under control of a single centrifugal valve assembly. Thus much duplication of parts and labor in the production and repair of the motor control system of the invention is done away with and the control system is more compact than previous control systems capable of performing similar operations.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the combined centrifugal spark advance 7 and speed governing mechanisms of the invention in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:-

l. A control for an internal combustion engine or the like comprising centrifugal spark advance means operably associated with said engine for controlling the time of occurrence of engine spark, governing means operably associated with said engine for preventing the speed of the engine from exceeding a predetermined speed, and common centrifugal actuating means responsive to a plurality of engine parameters for regulating said spark advance and governing means.

2. A control for an internal combustion engine or the like comprising spark advance means operably associated with said engine for controlling the time of occurrence of engine spark, governing means operably associated with said engine for preventing the speed of the engine from exceeding a predetermined speed, and common centrifugal valve amembly actuating means simultaneously responsive to a plurality of engine'parameters for regulating said spark advance and governing means.

3. A control for an internal combustion engine or the like comprising centrifugal spark advance means operably associated with said engine for controlling the time of occurrence of engine spark, vacuum responsive governing means operably associated with said engine for pre- 5. venting the speed of the engine from exceeding a predetermined speed, and common centrifugal valve assembly actuating means simultaneously responsive to a plurality of engine parameters for regulating said spark advance and governing means.

4. Structure as claimed in claim 3 including a shaft rotatable at a speed proportional to engine speed and wherein said centrifugal spark advance means comprises a sleeve having cam surfaces at one end thereof and a cam plate at the other mounted for rotation relative to said shaft, and resilient means operable between the shaft and cam plate for resisting relative rotation between the sleeve and shaft.

5. Structure as claimed in claim 3 wherein the engine includes a throttle, and said vacuum responsive governing means comprising a pair of housing members, a diaphragm clamped between said housing members, a throttle positioning rod secured to one side of the diaphragm and extending through the housing member on said one side of the diaphragm for controlling the position of the throttle in accordance with the position of the diaphragm, and means effective on actuation of said actuating means for positioning the diaphragm in accordance with engine speed.

6. Structure as claimed in claim 5 wherein the diaphragm and other housing member form a vacuum chamber and wherein the last mentioned means comprises resilient means operable between the diaphragm and the other housing member tending to urge the diaphragm and rod in a direction to open the throttle, and connections between the chamber and a source of engine vacuum.

7. Structure as claimed in claim 3 including a shaft rotatable at a speed proportional to engine speed and wherein said common centrifugal valve assembly actuating means includes a housing secured to said shaft for rotation therewith having opposed cylinder recesses therein extending radially of the shaft and centrifugally balanced pistons in said opposed cylinder recesses.

8. Structure as claimed in claim 7 wherein one of the opposed cylinder recesses has a radially extending slot therein and said common centrifugal valve assembly actuating means further includes a connection through said shaft and housing between the radially outer end of the one of said cylinder recesses and the manifold of the engine, and a cam pin secured to the piston in the one cylinder recess extending through the slot and engaging the centrifugal spark advance means.

9. Structure as claimed in claim 7 wherein said common centrifugal valve assembly actuating means further includes a connection through said shaft and housing between atmospheric pressure at the radially outer end of one of the cylinder recesses and the vacuum responsive governing means at speeds below a predetermined engine speed.

10. Structure as claimed in claim 9 wherein the piston in the one cylinder recess comprises a guide sleeve and including a centrifugal valve extending axially of the guide sleeve operable to disconnect the vacuum responsive governing means from the atmospheric pressure at the predetermined engine speed.

11. A centrifugal valve assembly comprising a housing having opposed cylinder recesses therein one of which has a valve opening in one end thereof, pistons in said recesses centrifugally balanced about an axis of rotation of said housing, said housing having slots therein extending into said cylinder recesses and radially of the axis of rotation of the housing, cam pins secured to the pistons and extending through the slots and valve means operable between one of said pistons and said housing responsive to rotation of said housing at a predetermined speed for closing the valve opening in the one cylinder recess.

12. Structure as claimed in claim 11 and further including a vacuum connection to the radially outer end of the other of said cylinder recesses.

13. Structure as claimed in claim 12 wherein the one piston is a sleeve, and the valve means includes a can; trifugal valve member guided in said sleeve for sealing the valve opening in the outer end of said one cylinder recess at a predetermined speed of rotation of the valve assembly and spring means operable between the valve member and one end of said one cylinder recess for biasing the valve member away from the valve opening.

14. Structure as claimed in claim 13 and further including means for adjusting the one end of said one cylinder recess relative to the valve member to vary the predetermined speed of rotation of the housing at which the valve member closes the opening in the end of the one cylinder recess.

15. A control for an internal combustion engine or the like comprising centrifugal spark advance means operably associated with said engine for controlling the time of occurrence of engine spark, vacuum responsive governing means operably associated with said engine for preventing the speed of the engine from exceeding a predetermined speed, a shaft rotatable at a speed proportional to engine speed and common centrifugal valve assembly actuating means including a housing secured to said shaft for rotation therewith having opposed cylinder recesses therein extending radially of the shaft and centrifugally balanced pistons in said opposed cylinder recesses responsive to a plurality of engine parameters for regulating said spark advance and governing means.

16. Structure as claimed in claim 15 wherein one of the opposed cylinder recesses has a radially extending slot therein and said common centrifugal valve assembly actuating means further includes a connection through said shaft and housing between the radially outer end of the one of said cylinder recesses and the manifold of the engine, and a cam pin secured to the piston in the one cylinder recess extending through the slot and engaging the centrifugal spark advance means.

17. Structure as claimed in claim 15 wherein said common centrifugal valve assembly actuating means further includes a connection through said shaft and housing between atmospheric pressure at the radially outer end of one of the cylinder recesses and the vacuum responsive governing means at speeds below a predetermined engine speed.

18. Structure as claimed in claim 17' wherein the piston in the one cylinder recess comprises a guide sleeve and including a centrifugal valve extending axially of the guide sleeve operable to disconnect the vacuum responsive governing means from the atmospheric pressure at the predetermined engine speed.

19. A control for an internal combustion engine or the like comprising spark advance means operably associated with said engine for controlling the time of occurrence of engine spark at both low and high engine speeds including a shaft rotatable at a speed proportional to engine speed, a sleeve having exterior cam surfaces at one end thereof and a cam plate at the other end mounted on said shaft for rotation relative to the shaft, a housing secured to said shaft for rotation therewith having a pair of oppositely disposed cylinder recesses therein one of which includes a valve opening in one end thereof, a piston reciprocally mounted in each of the opposed cylinder recesses, a pair of slots in the housing extending into the cylinder recesses and radially of the shaft, pins secured to the piston members and movable radially of the shaft within the slots, slots in the cam plate extending obliquely of each of the slots in the housing in which the pins are received and resilient means operable between the housing and cam plate for urging the cam plate in one angular direction with respect to the shaft, means for connecting one end of the other cylinder recess to a source of manifold vacuum, means for connecting the one end of the one cylinder recess with a combined source of manifold and venturi vacuum and valve means for sealing the one end of the one cylinder recess at a predetermined speed of rotation of the shaft whereby said combined manifold and venturi vacuum is operable on the piston therein only at a relatively high speed of rotation of said shaft.

20. Structure as set forth in claim 19 wherein the piston in the one cylinder recess is a sleeve and the means for sealing the one end of the one cylinder recess comprises a valve member reciprocally received within the piston in the one cylinder recess for guided movement thereby and resilient means operable between the one end of the one cylinder recess and the valve member for biasing the valve member away from the one end of the one cylinder recess.

21. Structure as set forth in claim 20 and further including means for adjusting the axial position of the one end of the one cylinder recess for varying the predetermined speed at which the valve opening is closed by the valvemember.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,381,550 Mallory Aug. 7, 1945 2,544,607 Mallory Mar. 6, 1951 2,670,724 Reggio Mar. 2, 1954 2,678,034 Nallinger May 11, 1954 2,893,363 Bettoni July 7, 1959 2,905,162 Johnson Sept. 22, 1959 

15. A CONTROL FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE OR THE LIKE COMPRISING CENTRIFUGAL SPARK ADVANCE MEANS OPERABLY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID ENGINE FOR CONTROLLING THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE OF ENGINE SPARK, VACUUM RESPONSIVE GOVERNING MEANS OPERABLY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID ENGINE FOR PREVENTING THE SPEED OF THE ENGINE FROM EXCEEDING A PREDETERMINED SPEED, A SHAFT ROTATABLE AT A SPEED PROPORTIONAL TO ENGINE SPEED AND A COMMON CENTRIFUGAL VALVE ASSEMBLY ACTUATING MEANS INCLUDING A HOUSING SECURED TO SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH HAVING OPPOSED CYLINDER RECESSES THEREIN EXTENDING RADIALLY OF THE SHAFT AND CENTRIFUGALLY BALANCED PISTONS IN SAID OPPOSED CYLINDER RECESSES RESPONSIVE TO A PLURALITY OF ENGINE PARAMETERS FOR REGULATING SAID SPARK ADVANCE AND GOVERNING MEANS. 